LawOrder SVU Daylight
by Lantana75
Summary: Four female NYPD detectives, including two well-known, are found restrained, raped, and beaten in their own homes. Were these crimes related or were these women simply random victims?
1. Chapter 1

"No! No! You did not beat me again!"

"Oh, yes, I did! Pay up!"

In a small apartment, two young women were playing a video game together and having a great time. The cool night in New York City was spotted with stars and a full moon. The two women knew that the neighbors would be unhappy, but they didn't care at all. They paid their rent.

"Damn it, Nikki. You're too good at this game." Lisa Staunton smiled at her friend. Lisa, part-Hispanic with dark black hair and chocolaty-brown eyes, put down the game controller.

"Practice, practice, practice," Nikki said. Nikki Irene Kempton, who had medium brown hair and brown eyes and was shorter than Lisa, also put down her controller. She took the disc from the system and placed it into the case and turned off the system. "I need to get a snack and get some sleep," she said. "You're welcome to sleep on the hide-a-bed."

Nikki walked into the kitchen, which was extremely small. She was pouring herself a glass of soda when her cell-phone rang. "Who could that be at this time?," she asked herself. She picked up her phone and answered. Lisa, who was now standing at the door, watched quietly as her friend's smile suddenly dropped to the floor.

"Nina? Are you OK?," Nikki asked into the phone, concerned. She put down her phone and looked at Lisa. "I have to go," she said. "Something is wrong, seriously wrong."

"Let me drive you, Nikki," Lisa said. "You're upset. You might get into an accident."

Lisa drove her friend to another apartment building. Nikki jumped out and hurried into the building. As she hurried upstairs, Lisa was at her heels. The two friends reached the correct door. It was cracked open and a streak of blood was on it.

"Something is wrong," Nikki said quietly. She pushed the door open and stepped slowly into the apartment. The apartment was completely trashed. Broken items were scattered around and electronics were in pieces all over the floor. DVD's, Blu-Rays, and video game discs were scattered like a deck of cards. "Nina?" Nikki continued to walk through the apartment. "Nina? Are you here?" Nikki walked down the short hallway that led to the two bedrooms. Nikki went to the left and into the bedroom. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh, my god. Nina!"

On the bed, Nina was on her back. She was restrained with her own handcuffs and had obviously been beaten. Her ripped clothes told Nikki that she had also been raped. Nikki grabbed a blanket and tossed it over her sister, not wanting to leave her exposed. She called for Lisa as she looked around for any sign of the key. Lisa walked in and was also shocked and appalled by what she saw. She got her cell-phone and called the police.

As Lisa was talking to the police, she found the keys on the floor and handed it to Nikki. Nikki freed her sister. Nina was still unconscious and her breathing sounded awful. Nikki was afraid she was about to die right in her arms. Nikki cradled Nina's head in her lap and talked to her, petting her hair, as she waited anxiously for the police and ambulance to arrive. Lisa talked only to the dispatcher on the phone, not knowing what she should say to Nikki. Nothing she could say would change what had happened.

Nikki refused to leave her sister as the paramedics prepared her for transport to the emergency room. She was placed into the ambulance and Nikki jumped into the vehicle to accompany her. Lisa watched the ambulance leave.

"She was restrained with her own handcuffs," Nick told Amanda as they stood by the bed that was now the primary crime scene. "Nikki said she took those off of her and then covered Nina with that blanket."

"And this is Nina Cassady?," Amanda asked. "The one they used to call Detective Beauty Queen?"

"That's right," Olivia said as she was walking towards them. "She worked Homicide at the two-seven with then Detective Ed Green. I've called him and he's going to meet us at the station to talk to us. I also want you to talk to others at that precinct, along with lieutenant. She is a very good woman named Anita Van Buren."

"Under what circumstances did Nina leave?," Amanda asked. "Or was she terminated?"

"She transferred to Burglary," Olivia said. "That's where she's still working. When she wakes up, I will personally talk to her."

At the hospital, Olivia and Amanda found a worried Nikki standing in the hallway and drinking a can of soda. They introduced themselves.

"Nikki, I know this is difficult," Olivia said. "But I need to ask you some questions."

"I know how this goes," Nikki said. "Nina gave me a lot of stories from her work, including homicide. She's likely got a lot of enemies. She arrested a lot of people in her career. She does not have a boyfriend and she has not dated in several months. I have a boyfriend and I know he would never lay a hand on her. Or any woman, for that matter."

"How long have you dated this man?," Amanda asked.

"Three months," Nikki said. "I've known Dallas since middle school and I know he would never do this."

"Does Nina have a problem with you dating Dallas?," Olivia asked.

"No, she doesn't," Nikki said. "She likes him."

"What's his name and where can we find him?," Amanda asked as she prepared to write on her notepad.

"Dallas Larkin," Nikki said.

"I love Nikki and I like her sister a lot," Dallas said as he was working under the hood of a classic Ford Mustang. "I didn't even know this had happened until you walked up." Dallas was handsome, slightly muscular, and had long black hair in a ponytail and a goatee.

"Why wouldn't Nikki call to tell you?," Amanda asked, suspicious.

"I'm not allowed to have my cell-phone while I'm working," Dallas explained. "She may have called or texted and I haven't gotten the message yet."

"Where were you around eight-fifteen this morning?," Olivia asked.

"Working on the engine for this very car," Dallas said. "Ask anyone here. They can all tell you." He shut the hood. "Now, I'd like to call my girlfriend," he said. "I'm sure she's devastated. She and Nina are really close."

Dallas walked away.

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	2. Chapter 2

The precinct was abuzz with activity. Amanda taped a page-sized photo of Nina onto the board and wrote under it; "Nina Savannah Cassady; Victim 3" and the date.

"All three of our victims are women on our own police force," Nick announced as he looked at the photos of all three victims. "Victim one is Sally Fletcher, raped two weeks ago in her own home; found bound with her own handcuffs. Victim two is Helen Riggs, raped six days ago, also in her own home and also bound with her own handcuffs. Victim three, Nina Cassady, same as one and two, raped in her home and bound with her own handcuffs."

"We haven't found any other connection other than all three women are New York City police officers," Amanda said. "None of these women worked on any cases together. None of them arrested the same suspects and none of them seemed to have known each other, according to the families."

"This could still be a case of revenge," Nick said. "Maybe this is a man who was arrested by a woman detective or officer and he's taking it out on any woman official that he can find."

"I would have to agree with that," Cragen said as he leaned on a desk and looked at the photos. "I know Detective Ed Green. He worked with Nina Cassady for almost a year. I'll talk to him."

An officer brought a message to Cragen. He read the note. "Nina woke up twenty minutes ago and she wants to talk," he said. "Olivia, I believe you said that you wanted to speak with her personally. Go now, please, while I go visit Ed."

"Yeah, I remember Nina," Green said as he and Cragen were in his kitchen. "She was reckless and impulsive at first. But she was really improving as time went on. I like her, but she just really wasn't ready to be a detective just yet."

"What do you mean by impulsive?," Cragen asked.

"She wasn't good at controlling her mouth," Ed replied. "She would say whatever came to her mind. It was like she had no control over that and it did cause some problems. Like I said, she was indeed improving and doing better at controlling herself." He sighed. "Until that last case we worked together. We were investigating a state senator that killed his wife. Nina witnessed him as he was killing his adult daughter. She had previously caused him to throw a tantrum in the interrogation and she was accused of setting him up. But, she did great in court later. She stayed calm and maintained her composure. The senator claimed self-defense in the stabbing of his daughter and his attorney claimed that Nina had used what she saw to frame him as revenge. Nina told them that if she truly had it in for that man, she could have dropped him right there and claimed a justifiable shooting. She could have. I was across the apartment and never saw what happened until after it was all over with. I heard her ordering him to drop the knife and got to the scene as he was saying that his daughter attacked him. His knife wounds were very shallow and no organs were hit. Believe me, Nina had the perfect chance to shoot him. By the time I got there, he could have been dead and she could have claimed that he came for her with the knife. She did indeed do a great job." He set his drink down. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?," he asked. "Is she with SVU now?"

"No," Cragen replied. "She's a victim, Ed. Her sister found her this morning, beaten and raped."

"Sister?," Ed asked. "She told me she had a brother named Jimmy, but never mentioned a sister at all."

"We looked into that," Cragen said. "Nina's older files had no mention of a sister. But she changed that shortly after she left Homicide. Apparently, she learned that she has a half-sister and they became very close and they live together now. Her name is Nikki Larkin. She told us that Nina's father was unfaithful when his wife was pregnant with Nina and fathered Nikki during an affair. Nina is five months older. The friends we talked to said Nina was thrilled, that she had always wanted a sister and that the two were really close."

"Have you talked to Jimmy?," Ed asked.

"We plan to," Cragen said. "Ed, you know the drill. If you think of anything…"

"I'll call you," Ed promised. "Is Nina still in the hospital?"

"Yeah, she'll be there a few more days," Cragen replied.

"I don't remember a lot," Nina said weakly as Olivia stood by the bed and listened. "Nikki left early for a regular doctor appointment. I was off this morning, so I was staying at home and relaxing." She sighed a slow and deep sigh and then continued: "I heard a loud noise in the corridor and I went to see what it was. When I opened the door, I was kicked in the back of my leg and I fell. He pulled me, mostly by my hair, into the apartment and he let go of me to lock the door. I got up and tried to run for my bedroom, where my gun is. But, he caught me right at the door and threw me down. I crawled to the nightstand, where my gun is, and opened it. But he slammed the drawer on my hand and then took the gun and hit me with it. He got my handcuffs and that's when he restrained me to the bed. He put the gun on the stand, crawled onto the bed over me, and stripped me and raped me. When he was finished, he just stood up, put his clothes on, and stared at me for awhile. I think he was waiting for me lose consciousness, which I did eventually. The next thing I remember is waking up in the ambulance."

"Can you describe him, Nina?," Olivia asked.

"White, brown hair, green eyes, average height, husky," Nina told her. "He had a scar on the right side of his face. It went from his hairline down to his cheek."

"We'll get the sketch artist here," Olivia said as she finished writing and put away the notepad. "Your sister wants to see you. She's right outside the door."

"Send her in," Nina said as she sat her bed almost upright.

"Will do," Olivia said. "And I will be back later."

Olivia opened the door and called Nikki into the room. She watched as the sisters hugged and Nina assured Nikki that she would be fine in a few days. Olivia left the hospital.

At the precinct, Cragen was waiting for Olivia. "I want that sister checked out," he said as soon as Olivia walked into the office. "Ed told me that Nina mentioned a brother on several occasions, but never mentioned a sister at all. Find out everything you can; her parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, pets, anything. I want to know who she is and what her relationship with Nina is."

"Do you think they're actually partners?," Nina asked. "Nina has had several boyfriends, including Jimmy Morgan from Narcotics."

"Maybe she swings for both teams," Cragen said. "You know as well as I do that some people do that."

"I'll put Fin on that," Olivia said. "And I'll talk to Nikki's friend and see what she knows. She was at the hospital also."

"Check her out, too, Olivia," Cragen said.

Olivia gave the names of both women to Fin and told him it was urgent. He nodded and got to work immediately.

"She's Nina's half-sister," Lisa told Olivia in her apartment, which was down the hall from the sister's apartment. "They found each other three years ago. When Nina's mother was pregnant with Nina, her father cheated with Nikki's father. Nina is five months older than Nikki. Nina has known that her father cheated since she was a teenager. She found that he had been sending child support to the other woman and confronted him about it. He told her the truth and she started looking for Nikki. Nina's father died last year and her mother is in a nursing home. Her mother hates Nikki, which is why Nina didn't mention her until the last year. Her mother doesn't know that Nina found Nikki and that they are really close. Nina and Nikki never blamed one another for their father's mistake."

"Why didn't Nina tell us this?," Olivia asked.

"Does it matter?," Lisa asked. "They're sisters and that's that. Who cares what the circumstances are? They're family."

"And how long have you been their friend?," Olivia asked.

"I met Nikki in the laundromat in the basement," Lisa said. "We've been friends ever since. I later made friends with Nina also."

"Do you have a boyfriend, Lisa?," Olivia asked.

"Yes, I do," Lisa asked. "Why?" Then, she realized why Olivia was asking that question. "Houston wouldn't do this!," she insisted. "He's not a rapist."

"Houston what?," Olivia asked.

"Larkin," Lisa replied. "He's Dallas' twin brother. He looks pretty much the same. Only real difference is that he wears his hair only shoulder-length rather than a long ponytail and he doesn't have a goatee."

"Where can we find him, Lisa?," Olivia asked.

"He didn't do this," Lisa said. "We're all friends and we don't hurt one another." She sighed. "He works in the stables at Central Park, where they give kids rides."

"Nina is a good friend of my girlfriend," Houston said as he brushed a horse in the stable. "I would never hurt her. My father raised me from the time I was in the sandbox to respect women."

"That's nice," Olivia said. "Somebody did more than put his hands on this one."

Houston stopped brushing the horse and looked at Olivia. "I will repeat myself," he said. "I didn't hurt Nina in any way. I feel awful that she's been raped and beaten like this. No woman should have to endure that. I want her to be OK."

"Where were you Thursday morning?," Olivia asked.

"Right here," Houston replied. "We had an injured horse and I spent the morning helping the vet. The vet and several of the other stable grooms can confirm that."

Houston untied the horse's lead rope from the hook and led it into a stall. He unlatched the rope from the halter and exited the stall. As he closed the stall door, he looked at Olivia.

"I know the people closest to any victim are the first suspects," Houston said. "But you're looking in the wrong place. None of us have hurt one another and none of us laid a hand on Nina. I wish you'd quit talking to me and go find who really raped her."

Olivia stood there and sighed as Houston walked away.

"I believe him," Olivia said at the precinct. "I think we can rule out anyone in Nina's social circle. I think we should definitely connect this with the attacks on victims one and two."

"So, we're looking at revenge here?," Nick asked.

"I believe we are," Amanda said. "Nina, Helen, and Sally were all attacked with the same M.O. and there is no evidence that any of these women or their families knew one another."

"All three live in different areas of town," Fin said. "We need to figure out how this man chose them."

Olivia suddenly thought of something. "Wait a minute," she said as she stood up from the desk she was leaning against. "All three of these officers have been big news at one point, at different times. Nina was hailed as a hero in two-thousand-seven when she halted a robbery at a beauty salon. She was in the news for weeks after that and earned the nickname Detective Beauty Queen. In two-thousand-nine, Sally Fletcher risked her life pulling an infant from a burning car and received second and third degree burns as she did. The baby survived with only minor injuries. And finally, Helen Riggs was in the news for weeks in March of last year when she stopped a runaway car in which an elderly man was having a heart attack and gave him CPR. She saved his life and was also credited with preventing a catastrophe because the car was approaching a crosswalk full of young children, which would have resulted in the deaths of several children without a doubt."

"So, these women were chosen after appearing on news stories," Nick concluded. "So, what now? We keep all our female officers off the news and television?"

"He's targeting detectives," Olivia said. "None of these women have been in a uniform in several years."

"We've got a warning to all our woman detectives to be on alert, whether they're on duty or not," Cragen said.

As the conversation was going on, the phone rang. Cragen picked it up. "Cragen," he answered. He listened for a moment. From his reaction and body language, the others could see that something was wrong. "OK, thank you," he said. He hung up and looked at another. "We have another one," he announced. "Danielle Beck from the warrants squad was just found by her sister the same way that the others were all found."

"Dani?," Amanda asked.

"You know her?," Cragen asked.

"I went to the academy with her and was on some patrols with her when we were in uniform," Amanda said.

"She worked for us for a short while," Cragen said. "She decided she couldn't handle special victims and left right before Olivia returned."

"I'll take this one, too," Olivia said. "Amanda, you know her. Come with me."

Amanda and Olivia left the squad room.

Author Note: Here, I made references to a case about a state senator. This was an episode (original Law and Order) entitled "The Family Hour" and it was Cassady's final case and she did not return the next season. No reason was ever given for her departure (as opposed to the fact that reasons were indeed given for all the other characters' departure; not including the characters that died or were killed off). Watch the daily reruns on TNT to see the case, if you are curious. It is also available on Amazon Instant Video and may be on or .

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	3. Chapter 3

"It's called revenge rape or anger rape," Doctor Elizabeth Olivet told the detectives in a conference room. "The aim of this rapist is to humiliate, debase, and hurt their victim. They express their contempt for their victim through physical violence and profane language. For these rapists, sex is a weapon to defile and degrade the victim. Rape constitutes the ultimate expression of their anger. This rapist considers rape the ultimate offense they can commit against the victim. Anger rape is characterized by physical brutality, much more physical force is used during the assault than would be necessary if the intent were simply to overpower the victim and achieve penetration. This type of offender attacks their victim by grabbing, striking, and knocking the victim to the ground, beating them, tearing their clothes, and raping them. The experience for the offender is one that is of conscious anger or rage."

"What could possibly set somebody off like that?," Olivia asked.

"Some of them are so quick to anger that even a small thing, like cutting them off in traffic, can trigger their rage enough to act on these impulsions," Olivet replied. "There have cases where they do it when a woman just looks at them wrong."

"That's a big suspect pool," Amanda said.

"Look for a man around age forty to fifty," Olivet said. "Most likely, he will be unemployed and maybe living with another person, such as their parent or a friend. Most likely, that roommate will not be aware of what he is doing. The roommate may know how angry he is, but not the extreme length he will go to for his revenge. They may have seen temper tantrums, punching walls, swearing, and breaking things by this man." She closed the file and went on: "The detectives that have been attacked may not even be the one who wronged him. It could be any female detective at all and he is taking his anger out on any woman detective he can find. He could likely be using the news as his hunting ground. Because of the times that each of your victims were attacked, I don't think this wrong was recent. It may have happened long before he started to attack these women."

"How are we to know which case to look at?," Olivia asked.

"Look for a suspect who was injured, shot, or brutalized by a woman detective," Olivet replied. "It may likely be that the detective was never reprimanded for it and went right back on duty. This person may not even be the one who was arrested. It could be a relative, sibling, friend, or acquaintance."

"That's a long list of suspects and detectives," Olivia said with a heavy exasperated sigh. "That could take weeks, or even months, to go through all that. He could attack more by then."

"I understand that you have alerted the entire police department about this man," Olivet said.

"To all the women detectives, yes," Amanda said. "They know to be on the lookout."

At the hospital, Elliot Stabler walked in and asked for Dani's room. He walked down the corridor, used the elevator, and stepped off on the correct floor. He stopped at Dani's room and looked into the small window at her. She was asleep and looked awful. He decided not to go into the room. She needed to rest.

"Elliot?"

Elliot turned around. "Hello, Liv," he said. "It's good to see you."

"Why are you here?," Olivia asked.

"To see Dani," Elliot replied. "I worked with her for awhile. I wanted to see how she was doing."

"She's been beaten pretty badly," Olivia said. "She was raped violently, just like the other victims. She has some recovering to do, but the doctors said she'll be fine in awhile."

"I heard there were three other woman officers attacked," Elliot said as he sat down. "Have you got any suspects or any motive?"

"We cannot find any link between these four women," Olivia replied as she sat down by him. "Dr. Olivet says some guy is getting revenge by doing this, but that whatever happened to him didn't involve any of these particular detectives. She told us that he may feel as if he was wronged by a female officer or detective. She did say none of these women may even be the one that wronged him. This is a mess."

"You'll find him, Liv," Elliot said. "Watch yourself, too. You could be next on this guy's bulls-eye."

"Trust me, I am watching," Olivia replied.

"How are the new detectives doing?," Elliot asked.

"Not so bad," Olivia replied. "I'm not disappointed with them. Do you miss this?"

"Not really," Elliot said. "I'm spending more time with my family."

"That's good," Olivia said. "We miss you, El. You're always welcome if you want to come back."

"Thanks, but I won't be coming back," Elliot said. "I couldn't spend even one more minute back in the SVU."

"It's not getting any easier," Olivia said. "We have not only this case, but a pile of disturbing cases that turns my stomach. There are times that I want to leave also."

Elliot sighed. "Get out, Liv," he warned. "Get out while you're still young enough to have a life." He stood up. "I'll come back later and see how she is."

Olivia stood quietly as Elliot walked away.

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	4. Chapter 4

Olivia and Amanda walked into the waiting room, where Nikki and Dallas were talking. Nikki turned and looked.

"Has something come up?," Nikki asked.

"I'm sorry, Nikki," Amanda replied. "We're still running down leads right now. We just have a few more questions."

Everyone sat down near a coffee table. Olivia set photographs of the other detectives onto the table.

"Do you know any of these detectives, Nikki?," Amanda asked. "Or do you know if Nina knows them?"

Nikki studied the photos. She picked up the photo of Beck. "I met this one for a few minutes once," she said. "Denise? Danielle. That's what it is. Danielle. I don't remember her last name. She came to our building a few months ago to arrest a woman and her back-up failed to arrive. So, Nina helped her with the arrest. She seemed really nice. A little impulsive, but nice."

"That's Danielle Beck," Amanda said. "Dani. She's our most recent victim and she was attacked the same way as Nina was."

"You mean this is a serial rapist?," Nikki asked. "How are you going to find him before he goes after somebody else?"

"Are you sure you don't know any of these others?," Olivia asked.

Nikki studied the photos again. She looked at Olivia and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know them. I wish I could help. I really do. I want this guy locked up." She leaned forward on her arms. "Why aren't you asking Nina these things?," she asked.

"We plan to," Olivia replied. "Some stalkers use family and friends to get closer to the victim. We wanted to know if he may have used one of you to get to another. And because you recognize Detective Beck, that means that he may have followed Nina to her at some point."

"Like he's playing a sick version of Follow-The-Leader?," Dallas asked, his arms around Nikki from behind her.

"Right," Amanda said. She gathered the photos and took the one from Nikki's hand. "Thank you, Nikki," she said.

"When are they releasing Nina?," Olivia asked.

"Tomorrow," Nikki said. "She doesn't want to go back to the apartment, though. What do I do?"

"Get a hotel suite, Nikki," Olivia suggested. "Don't force her to confront what she's not ready to yet."

"It's our home," Nikki said. "You're supposed to be safe in your own home. Will Nina ever feel safe there again?"

"There's help available for her," Olivia said. "She'll be OK, Nikki. She's a strong woman, from what Ed told us."

"She is indeed," Nikki said. "But she was never raped before. I don't know how she'll deal with this."

"Tell her to get help, Nikki," Olivia said. "And be there for her."

Nikki nodded.

"Do you know any of these detectives, Kevyn?," Olivia asked Kevyn Davidson as she showed her the photos. Kevyn studied the photos of Nina, Helen, and Sally. All three were page-size photos of each in plain-clothes and hair down. They had been cropped from family photos provided by family members.

"Why isn't Dani's photo here?," Shawn Davidson, Kevyn's husband, asked as he looked.

"Dani is Kevyn's sister," Amanda replied. "Of course she knows her own sister?"

"This one," Kevyn said as she picked up the photo of Helen. "I met Dani for lunch one afternoon and this one was talking with her. She was leaving just as I got there."

Olivia and Amanda looked at one another. "Kevyn, have you noticed anyone following you?," Amanda asked.

"No," Kevyn replied. "Not that I have noticed. Why?"

"We think this man is following a trail from one detective to the next by following their family members. Nina Cassady's sister recognized the photo of your sister. Now, you have identified Helen Riggs."

"This is sick," Kevyn said. "I hope you're doing all you can to find the bastard that raped Dani."

"We are," Amanda said.

"This one," Steven Riggs said as he picked up the photo of Sally.

"Sally Fletcher," Olivia said.

"What does this have to do with finding who raped my wife?," Steven asked.

"This guy is using family members to get to his victims," Amanda said as she took back the photos. "The previous victims' families have identified photos of the other detectives who were attacked."

"So, who are you going to ask next?," Lucy Fletcher asked. "My daughter was the first victim of this man?"

"We're trying to find who next will be," Olivia said.

"Back to Beck and her sister," Amanda suggested. "She's the key to the next victim."

"She's still unconscious," Olivia said. "They don't know when she'll wake up. She took a real blow to her head."

In the hospital waiting room, Nikki was waiting for the doctors to sign the release papers for Nina.

"You're Nina's sister, right?," a female voice asked from the door.

"And you are?," Nikki asked as she turned around.

"Kevyn Davidson," Kevyn said as she walked into the room. "Dani's older sister."

The women shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Kevyn," Nikki said. "But not under these circumstances."

"True that," Kevyn replied. "How is Nina?"

"She's leaving the hospital later today," Nikki said. "We're moving into a hotel for awhile. She's not ready to go home yet."

"That's sad," Kevyn said. "It's sad that she feels unsafe in her own home. Is this going to happen to Dani?"

"I don't know, Kevyn," Nikki said. "I really do not know that. Every person is different."

Kevyn sighed.

Nikki wrote her phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Kevyn. "Call me if you need to talk," she said. "I need to go help my sister now."

"Good luck, Nikki," Kevyn said.

"Thanks," Nikki replied. "I'll need it."

Nikki walked out the door and down the corridor. Kevyn watched her go and sighed heavily. She knew as well as Nikki that the upcoming days, weeks, and even months would not be easy for anyone in either of their families.

Nikki drove Nina to the hotel and they went to their suite. Nina chose the smaller bedroom. She closed the door and stretched out across the bed, face-down, and stared at the wall.

Nikki didn't know what to do. She sat down in the living area with the television on mute and thought. She was not sure how long it was before a knock came at the door. She peeked through the peephole and saw Dallas, Houston, and Lisa were waiting there. She opened the door and let them into the room.

"Hey, Nikki," Dallas smiled as he hugged her. "How's your big sis?"

"Quiet and numb," Nikki replied. "I'm just giving her some time to get herself together."

"We brought you lunch," Lisa said as she set some fast-food bags on the counter. "We thought you and Nina wouldn't feel like cooking or going out."

"That's right," Nikki replied. "Thanks."

Lisa and Houston left as the sun was setting three hours later. Dallas stayed, telling them he would take a taxi home. He and Nikki sat together on the sofa. He held her back against him, his soft hands caressing her. She relaxed.

The television was on an old Denzel Washington movie they had both seen before. The volume was low, barely enough for them to hear a word that was said.

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	5. Chapter 5

"Nikki Kempton recognized Kevyn Davidson, who is the older sister of Danielle Beck," Amanda said as she wrote lines on the board to show who connected to who. "Kevyn Davidson recognized Steven Riggs, the husband of Helen Riggs. Steven Riggs recognized Lucy Fletcher, mother of Sally Fletcher. So, we conclude that the rapist is following a chain of relatives that just happened to meet up sooner or later. Since most families of the entire department travel in the same circles, they are always running into another relative of another sooner or later. He may be stalking places that we visit regularly, such as the same coffee shops and fast-food places."

"So, we need to ask the employees there to keep a lookout," Nick suggested.

"I will take care of that," Cragen said. "I want you all to go talk to anyone possible at these places, see if they remember anything."

"Are you serious, Amanda?," a waitress at a diner said as she stood outside the place with the detective. "Wow, you never know who you may see when you're working around cops all day. I did get a complaint from one lady who said she saw a creepy guy here. She said he was just watching and not eating or talking or anything. She asked Fiona if he was a cop and Fiona said she had never seen him before."

"Is Fiona here?," Amanda asked.

"Off today," the waitress said. "You want her address?"

"He was creepy, all right," Fiona told Amanda and Nick as she closed the door to her apartment. "He had this big scar down his face. I remember thinking somebody must have hit him with a beer bottle or something like that. He was looking at all the women intently."

"Did he ever say anything to any of you?," Amanda asked.

"Never," Fiona said. "He just watched. He comes in every few days or every two or three weeks. And then he vanishes."

"Does he still come?," Nick asked.

"I saw him there two days ago," Fiona replied.

Nick and Amanda looked at each other.

"Fiona, when do you work again?," Amanda asked.

"Tomorrow," Fiona replied. "Why?"

"Would you like some overtime?," Amanda asked. "With pay?"

Fiona stared at Amanda.

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	6. Chapter 6

The diner was moderately busy. Nikki, Lisa, Dallas, and Houston sat in a booth with drinks and snacks. In another booth, Kevyn and Shawn were eating and talking. At the counter sat Lucy Fletcher with a cup of coffee. Amanda, Nick, Olivia, and Fin were also scattered around the building and waiting and watching. Fiona was working her shift with a smile, trying not to give herself away. Every time a person entered the door, the witnesses would glance at the detectives with a head shake that clearly said, "That's not him." The detectives waited for a nod that would say "That's him."

Nikki was anxious. She didn't like leaving Nina alone, even though their brother, Jimmy, was with her. Nina and Jimmy had become slightly distant since Nina and Nikki had become close. Jimmy hated Nikki and seemed to blame her that she existed. Nina had tried to talk sense into him, but he was still full of spite.

Nikki was beginning to wonder if they would actually see the right man today. She also wondered if he would get suspicious when he saw that all the people he had used to attack his victims were all there at the same time. That would be a big coincidence.

The bells on the door jangled again, alerting Nikki. Once again, it was not the right man. She shook her head and looked at Dallas. "This is a waste of time," she said. "He won't come in here now that this is all over the news and he knows we're looking for him."

"Don't give up, Nikki," Dallas said.

"He's not coming," Nikki said with a heavy sigh. "They're not going to find him. If four police detectives fell victim to him, what good can some detectives who have not even seen him do?"

"Nikki, this is what they do," Houston said. "Quit worrying so much."

"Do you know that Nina barely slept last night?," Nikki asked. "Every slight noise jumps her heart right out of her chest. She's suspicious of every man she sees. She's living in hiding like a fugitive."

"I'm sorry for all that, Nikki," Lisa told her friend. "I can't imagine what Nina is going through. But, you'll both be happier when the man who did this to her and the others is caught. I know you want him caught."

"I want to shoot him," Nikki said. "I want to take him out back, shoot him, and throw him into the river. But, this country coddles criminals too damned much."

"That I do agree with," Dallas replied. "All these damn rights when they committed a crime and hurt somebody. Why should they get so much consideration?"

Nikki looked towards the door as the bells jangled again. She shook her head again. "Still not him," she said. She took a sip from her soda and looked towards Kevyn, who was also starting to doubt. She was looking carefully at every man that walked in.

As it drew near closing time, the bells jangled again. Kevyn looked up and gasped. She nodded at Amanda and Nick and mouthed the words, "That's him."

Nick and Amanda jumped to their feet and approached the man as he stood at the counter and waited for his order.

"Excuse me, my watch is broken," Amanda said. "Can you tell me what time it is?"

"It's almost eight," the man said.

"No, it's not," Nick said. "It's time to go downtown."

The two detectives placed handcuffs on the man. "What am I being arrested for?," the man asked.

"We have several women who say you're stalking them," Amanda told him. "They're in the diner and they just identified you. Let's go."

The two detectives led the man away.

Kevyn, Nikki, and Lucy hugged.

"It's over," Kevyn said. "It's all finally over."

At the precinct, Amanda looked at the man's identification. "Let's see here," she said as she studied it. "Logan Ryan Driscoll." She put the card down and sat down. "So, Logan, what do you have against women detectives?"

"I don't know what you mean," Logan replied.

"You were identified by relatives of four women detectives who all say that you followed them home," Nick said. "After that, each of these detectives was restrained and raped in their own homes. That's quite a coincidence."

"Those women may have deserved it, but I didn't do it," Logan replied as he leaned back in his chair, smug.

"Why did they deserve it?," Nick asked.

"Damn bitches don't need to be cops," Logan replied. He looked at Amanda. "And that includes you. You women are weak, too emotional, and too compassionate. You couldn't shoot a gun straight if it were on a tripod."

A tap came at the window. Amanda stepped out of the room. Cragen and Novak were watching through the one-way.

"Logan Driscoll had a brother who was shot by a female detective six years ago," Cragen said. "His name is Shane Driscoll. He was robbing a bodega and there were several people in the store. The detective was Teresa Langford and she has since retired from the force and lives in California now. Shane was left permanently disabled and unable to care for himself and he is in an assisted living facility now. Langford's report states that he turned the gun towards a teenaged girl in the store. He told Langford, who was a patrol officer then, that he would shoot the girl if he was not allowed to walk away. She said that he cocked the gun and that's when she shot him. The statements from all the witnesses seem to concur with that. The security tapes will be here soon. They're in the storage right now."

"So, this is revenge for him," Amanda said. "Revenge rape, also known as anger rape, is exactly what he's doing. He's using the rapes to exact his revenge. Since Langford is not within his reach, he's going after random female detectives instead."

"Exactly," Cragen said. "Let's get a warrant for his DNA. We have DNA from all four rape kits. I'll tell Warner to put a rush on it."

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	7. Chapter 7

The courtroom was alive with activity as Logan was led into the room and stood at the defendant's table.

"Docket number six-eight-five-two-dash-one, people versus Logan Driscoll, charges are four counts of first-degree rape," the court clerk read from the clipboard. He handed the clipboard to the judge.

"Your Honor, the defendant is charged with raping four N.Y.P.D. detectives," Casey said. "He followed relatives close to each victim, broke into their homes, restrained them, beat them, and raped them. He left them restrained to their beds to be found by their loved ones. We have evidence that suggests this was an act of revenge on one certain detective who left the state. Therefore, he targeted four random women who had never even seen him. We ask for remand."

The judge looked at Logan, who was still smug. The judge sighed and looked at the document. He finally looked back up. "Defendant is remanded without bail," he said.

Logan was led away. As he passed Casey, he jumped at her. "Lock me up, bitch," he said as he was held back by two court officers. "I'll come for you next. You'll be begging me for more, lady."

Casey tried not to react as he was forcibly removed from the room. She was shaken, but tried not to show it. She simply continued on with her job.

The judge called a recess. Casey walked out of the room quickly and started to walk quickly down the corridor. She was shaken and trying not to show her fear. Crazy people are like dogs: if they sense your fear, they'll attack.

In the restroom, Casey stared into the mirror. She had now spent several years putting away sexual predators. She remembered how she felt after her first case. Casey herself had saved the life of a kidnapped little girl. She had then told her boss, Arthur Branch, that she didn't want to work Special Victims. He had told her she would change her mind. She had admitted to Olivia shortly after that she had wanted homicide, all the glory and no living victims. Olivia had told her that "no one can handle the children" and that you never get used to that part of the job. Now, it was harder for her, since she knew three of the detectives that had been attacked: Cassady, Beck, and Riggs. She wondered now if she could even prosecute this case or if she should step aside and allow another prosecutor to take the case. Her own emotions and knowledge of the victims would likely interfere and get the better of her.

In his office, Jack McCoy listened to Casey's dilemma. He did understand. She knew these women and considered them friends and was obviously upset that they had been assaulted so brutally. Jack had became the DA after Arthur Branch retired in 2007. Jack sat in his chair, leaning back a little, and thought very hard.

"I'll call somebody I know," Jack said. "Because these victims are police, this could be prosecuted by the US Attorney's office. You'll second chair, Casey." He picked up the phone and started to dial.

"Thanks," Casey replied. "Alexandra's cruise won't get back for another eight weeks."

"She needed this vacation," Jack said. "You'll need one, too, Casey, very soon. And, you'll get a vacation after this case." He returned his attention to the phone and finished dialing.

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	8. Chapter 8

"Jack?"

"Abbie," Jack smiled. "Great to see you again." Jack hugged his one-time assistant DA Abbie Carmichael. "Have a seat," he smiled.

"Nice office," Abbie replied as she sat in front of the desk and Jack took his seat. "You've come a long way, Jack. I'm proud of you."

"I'm glad you agreed to come and help," Jack said. "Casey will be here in just a moment. She's almost as good as you were here."

"How have things been going for you, Jack?," Abbie asked.

"Very good, Abbie," Jack replied. "Rebecca and I have been talking and working things out."

"That's wonderful," Abbie said, knowing that Rebecca is Jack's adult daughter. Their relationship in her teen and adult years had been strained, but they were making a fresh start.

As the two continued talking, Casey tapped on the doorframe. Jack stood up and invited her into the room. Abbie also stood up.

"Abbie Carmichael, Casey Novak," Jack introduced. The two women shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Novak," Abbie smiled.

"Casey, please," Casey said. "And it's great to meet you also. Jack talks about you a lot."

Everyone sat down. Jack gave Abbie the file. "Four New York City detectives have been attacked, Abbie. They were beaten, raped, and left restrained in their homes. They were restrained by their own handcuffs. They were each found by a relative that lived with them. Nina Cassady was found by her half-sister. Danielle Beck was found by her sister. Helen Riggs is married and was found by her husband. Sally Fletcher was found by her mother. All of them were restrained for several hours before they were found and they were all barely dressed when they were found. The man who has been arrested was recognized by one member of each family. He had followed them to get his victim. We have since learned that he was seeking revenge on a female detective who arrested him a few years ago. She has moved to California, so we believe that he was just after any woman detective he could get to."

"How is the evidence?," Abbie asked.

"We have DNA from all four victims and they all match our defendant," Casey replied. "The relatives were able to identify him as the man who had followed them at one point. At first, they thought he was a stalker, but then he would vanish. He was then dismissed and it was then that each attack happened. All four women were attacked in their homes and his fingerprints are all over these homes."

"Would he have any other reason to be in the homes?," Abbie asked. "Does he work for a utility company? Maybe a cable company?"

"He's unemployed," Casey said. "Last time he had a job was in Pennsylvania three years ago."

A woman tapped on the doorframe and handed a blue document to Casey. She opened it as she sat back down.

"Let the games begin," Casey said. "Defense is claiming that he is not responsible. Extreme emotional distress."

"Distress?," Jack asked. He took the document and read it.

At Rikers, Abbie and Casey sat at the table with Logan and his attorney.

"My client's brother was shot by Detective Teresa Langford and left permanently unable to care for himself and in an assisted living facility for the rest of his life," Nathan Peterson said. "His extreme distress caused him to go after women detectives."

"These four women were not the ones that shot his brother," Abbie said. "They didn't know him and had nothing to do with this. None of them even knew Teresa and she didn't know any of these women or their families. We did the research."

"My brother wouldn't be like this if they didn't let women be cops," Logan said. "You bitches are too emotional and too weak."

Nathan signaled Logan to be quiet. "Clearly, this is emotional distress and he is not responsible for his actions."

"We have four women who will disagree with that," Casey said. "There are four women whose lives will never be the same again. Do you have any idea the trauma a rape victim suffers after the attack?"

Abbie looked down and away for a quick second.

"Let your shrink talk to him," Nathan said.

At a coffee shop, the two attorneys sat down with their coffee.

"I saw you in the interview room, Abbie," Casey said. "I'm sorry if I hit a nerve or brought back some memories."

"You did," Abbie said. "I was raped in law school by a freshman who I was dating."

"I'm sorry," Casey said. "I was raped when I was sixteen by my father's friend. He came to the house all the time to watch sports with my father. One day, my father left during a game to run an errand and his friend took his chance during halftime. It was weeks before I told anyone what had happened. I thought Dad would blame me."

"Is that why you went to special victims?," Abbie asked.

"No," Casey said. "In fact, I wanted out of it after my first case. All this sickness and perversion. Why is this world so sick?"

"I wish I knew," Abbie said. "If we knew, we could fix it and make everything perfect."

"That would be great," Casey said. "I found Nikki in the hospital chapel the day after Nina was admitted to the hospital. She told me that she had started attending church while in middle school when a friend invited her to go. I asked her if God loves us so much, why does he let these awful things happen?"

"What did she say?," Abbie asked.

Casey sighed. "She told me God gave people free will," she replied thoughtfully. "She said that he allows people to make their own decisions and does not force us to do anything. She said God does not control is like a puppet. He gives us choices. We're responsible for our own choices."

"That makes sense," Abbie admitted. "I've never been religious, but I do believe in God."

"I attended church a few times as a teenager," Casey said. "I didn't find much use for it."

Casey's phone rang. She answered it and looked shocked. "Really?," she asked. "When?" She listened and said, "We'll be right there." She hung up and looked at Abbie.

"What happened?," Abbie asked.

"Logan has been beaten," Casey replied. "He's in the hospital on life support."

The two women walked out to the car.

"Good for him," Nikki said as the two attorneys told her and Nina what had happened to Logan. They were standing in the living room of the sisters' apartment. "Did you think I was going to cry myself to sleep tonight over this news?"

"No, I didn't think that," Abbie said.

"Everything happens for a reason," Nikki said, as if she were simply talking about a traffic jam. She was not at all bothered by Logan's sudden death. "You know, I am damn hungry."

Nina was quiet, not sure what to think. She looked at Casey. "I'm glad he's dead," she said with her head held high. "I know it sounds heartless, but I am very glad that he's dead. I can get my life back. The past few years have not been good to me. My father died, my mother had a stroke that put her into a nursing home, and my brother was killed in the line of duty. I have nothing and nobody left, except Nikki."

"Just kick them out, Nina," Nikki said.

"I can't do that, Nikki" Nina said. "I may have to work with them again sometime in the future when I go back to work." She left the room and disappeared down the hall. Nikki heard the bedroom door close.

"She's going back to work?," Abbie asked.

"Eventually," Nikki replied. "I don't think she'll get where she's wanted to get all her life now. But, she's not going to let Logan dictate her life."

"What did she want?," Abbie asked.

"FBI," Nikki replied. "That used to be her lifelong dream."

"How old is Nina now?," Abbie asked.

"She's thirty-three," Nikki replied. "Why?"

"At the time of hiring, you must be between twenty-three to thirty-seven," Abbie replied. "I can help her out, but I need her to help me out."

"It's over, Miss Carmichael," Nikki said. "Logan is brain-dead. What could you possibly need from Nina now? Do you really care to find out what happened to him? If you do find who did this him, let me know. I want to buy him a big steak dinner."

In Jack's office, he smiled as he said, "What did you except, Abbie? Do you think any of them are saddened at his condition?"

"Of course not," Abbie said. "I still have to follow the law."

"Abbie, I'm not your boss anymore," Jack said. "But let me make a suggestion. Put this case aside until Logan comes out of the coma."

"You know that may never happen," Casey said.

"That's exactly my point," Jack said. "Sometimes justice shows up on its own and serves itself."

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	9. Chapter 9

Eight Months Later

Nikki watched television as Nina walked into the apartment. Nikki hjad a large pizza on the coffee table and she was having a feast in front of a Denzel Washington movie. Nina sat on the sofa.

"Having a party?," Nina asked.

"I didn't feel like cooking," Nikki said. "Are you OK?"

"Logan Driscoll died this morning," Nina said.

"OK," Nikki replied. She picked up the remote control. "I wonder if there's a good Denzel Washington movie on?"

"Glad to know you're heartbroken," Nina smiled.

"Bastard deserves it," Nikki said. She found "Unstoppable" on the television cable guide. "I love this one," she said. She dropped the remote control and got comfortable.

"Yeah, I agree," Nina said. "About Logan. But, his brother is still in that facility and he had nothing to do with this."

"To some extent, he did," Nikki said. "He forced Langford to have to shoot him, which is what set Logan off. Both those brothers had it coming once they chose their lifestyles."

"We don't know how they were raised," Nina said.

"Nina, I don't care if they had the worst parents in history," Nikki said. "That does not give you a license to be a bad person. Get some therapy, get over it, and become a productive member of society."

"Nikki, I have dealt with criminals that showed no remorse for their actions, even seemed to be proud of what they had done," Nina told her sister. "Some had awful childhood memories. Sometimes, I would wonder why they never sought help and how could anyone possibly think that there is no right or wrong. Believe me, Nikki, some people are so screwed up so early in life that you can lose all meaning of what's right and what's wrong."

"You're getting too soft, Nina," Nikki said. "Once you're an adult, you can make your own choices. You should have asked some suspect why he or she couldn't do that once they grew up."

Nina sighed and nodded. "Maybe," she said. "Maybe we're both right, to some point."

2


End file.
